Objective: To analyze the time spent by the health multidisciplinary team assisting patients in home care. Methods: An exploratory descriptive study that included 214 patients. After defining the main procedures, they were timed by trained observers who collected the data in 2009 and 2010. In total, 245 home visits and 441 procedures were observed. Results: Among the procedures categorized as direct assistance, the highlight was the time spent by the nursing staff, of 30.2 hours, followed by physiotherapists with 11.9h, dieticians with 9.4h and physicians with 8.9h. Indirect care was represented by the displacement of staff and guidance to the caregiver, family and/or patient, which consumed 65.3 hours and 20.3h, respectively. Conclusion: The analysis of time spent in home care revealed the complexity of this model of care and the potentiality to subsidize the sizing of staff, as well as the reorganization of the service. ResumoObjetivo: Analisar o tempo gasto por equipe multiprofissional de saúde no cuidado aos pacientes em assistência domiciliar. Métodos: Estudo exploratório e descritivo, que incluiu 214 pacientes. Após a definição dos principais procedimentos, os mesmos foram cronometrados por observadores treinados, que coletaram os dados em 2009 e 2010. Houve a observação de 245 visitas domiciliares e 441 procedimentos. Resultados: Dos procedimentos categorizados como assistência direta, destacou-se o tempo gasto pela equipe de enfermagem que foi de 30,2h, seguido por 11,9h gastas pelo fisioterapeuta, 9,4h pelo nutricionista e 8,9h pelo médico; e como assistência indireta, representada pelo deslocamento da equipe e orientação ao cuidador, família e/ou paciente, verificou-se que foram gastas 65,3h e 20,3h, respectivamente. Conclusão: A análise do tempo gasto na assistência domiciliar revelou a complexidade desse modelo de atenção e a potencialidade para subsidiar o dimensionamento de pessoal, bem como a reorganização do serviço.

Objective:To create and validate a complexity assessment tool for patients receiving home care from a public health service. Method: A diagnostic accuracy study, with estimates for the tool's validity and reliability. Measurements of sensitivity and specificity were considered when producing validity estimates. The resulting tool was used for testing. Assessment by a specialized team of home care professionals was used as the gold standard. In the tool's reliability study, the authors used the Kappa statistic. The tool's sensitivity and specificity were analyzed using various cut-off points. Results: On the best cut-off point-21-with the gold standard, a sensitivity of 75.5% was obtained, with the limits of confidence interval (95%) at 68.3% and 82.8% and specificity of 53.2%, with the limits of confidence interval (95%) at 43.8% and 62.7%. Conclusion: The tool presented evidence of validity and reliability, possibly helping in service organization at patient admission, care type change, or support during the creation of care plans.

The hegemonic presence of chronic conditions in the world in recent decades has pushed health systems to reorganization, aimed at viability and economic sustainability with 'user-centered' and integrated actions, and also using the logic model of health care networks. One of the alternatives to meet this need relates to home care, which intends to assist bedridden chronic patients at home as a substitute and/or complementary to hospital care. This study aim to describe the socio-demographic and clinical profile of the population assisted by the home care program of Federal District, bearing in mind how recent is the model of home care in Brazil, and the fact that studies in this area are scarce. The study is a cross-sectional descriptive study, based on data collection from medical records of all the 857 patients enrolled in the home care program of Federal District between January, 2012 and August, 2013. The study variables were the socio-demographic characteristics (place of residence, age and gender) and clinical-epidemiological characteristics (primary diagnosis, care modality, length of stay and clinical evolution). The general profile of patients assisted in the service was characterized by the predominance of older people-over 60 years (62.66%), females (55.78%), with cardiovascular diseases (26.37%), in low-complexity care (61.49%), remaining in the program between 1 and 2 years (46.09%) and remaining active in the service registration (21.82%). The analysis of this profile identified that the home care program (Programa de Internação Domiciliar, PID) of Federal District has assisted patients with predominant low complexity profile, which is the responsibility of the Primary Health Care, thus distorting its potential for dehospitalization of medium-complexity chronic patients, which is its public target.